Sonic washer



Dec. 31, 1968 c. E. wooo 3,419,426

some WASHER Filed May 4, 1964 INVENTO Cl/AA'lA-S 4'. Wang BY GH VOLTA G5 a CM United States Patent 3,419,426 SONIC WASHER Charles E. Wood, Fort Walton Beach, Fla. (4581 Willow Road, Salt Lake City, Utah 84117) Filed May 4, 1964, Sel. No. 364,865 6 Claims. (Cl. 134-1) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Articles are washed in cold water into which electrically charged air bubbles are introduced at very high or ultrasonic speeds. The bubbles are electromagnetically caused to oscillate at high speeds.

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the United States Government for governmental purposes without payment to me of any royalty thereon.

The invention relates to a sonic washer and more particularly a washing machine that utilizes electrically charged air bubbles propelled in an alternating magnetic field at extremely high speeds, the potential being in the sonic and ultrasonic range.

In the present state of the art various means are employed for providing vibration of articles to be cleaned within a cleaning fluid. Various cleaning fluids are employed including detergents, the use of which has begun to cause concern for our total water supply because no eflective means has yet been devised for its removal. Many means have been used to agitate the cleaning fluid itself including such devices as shock propulsion. Further, while experiments have been made with cold water devices, these devices cannot provide the efiiciency of heated water. Therefore, machinery and expense are involved in providing heat.

The device of the present invention represents a substantial forward step. A device is now provided which not only washes clothing and other articles in cold water, but does so without the use of detergents.

This is accomplished by passing air bubbles which are electrically charged into water, which may be cold water, in a container subjecting the charged air bubbles thus introduced to an alternating magnetic field and propelling the air bubbles through the fluid at very high speeds. These air bubbles impinge upon the articles, dislodge the dirt and carry it away. In addition, the bubbles consisting of electrically charged air, have an ozone (0 content, which has the characteristic in aqueous solution, of becoming a bleaching agent within itself.

The objects of the invention therefore are the provision of a device for washing clothing and other articles without the use of soap, cleaning powder, bleaches, special cleaning fluids or any kind of detergents. Water is the only cleaning fluid used and good cleaning results are obtained with cold water. This is accomplished by propelling electrically charged air bubbles through cold water and at speeds potentially in the supersonic range. The device of the invention is such that it may be easily adapted to automatic processes. Due to the buoyant action of the air bubbles, weighting means may be necessary to overcome the tendency of the clothes to rise. No other mechanical devices are necessary. The usual mechanically moving parts such as a dasher within the tub can be eliminated.

Damage to fabrics by corrosive cleaning agents and mechanical pulling and heating is avoided. The charged bubbles themselves will provide a bleaching action annoted above.

Because fabrics can be subjected to long continued action without damage, dyes, heretofore considered permanent, may be removed.

3,419,426 Patented Dec. 31, 1968 The method is adaptable to use with naphthalene and cleaning fluids. Because of the simplicity of the device and the minimum or complete absence of mechanically moving parts, there is a minimum cost of manufacture.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a device as described above which can be converted to use air bubbles under pressure with or without the use of electromagnetic and electrostatic fields. It is adaptable to shielding for the protection of an operator, and can be cycled by automatic timing devices. The principle of the invention is adaptable to variety of design, such as flexibility as to the position of the air feed in, shape of tub, shielding, automatic timing, etc.

These and other advantages, features and objects of the invention will become more apparent from the following description taken in connection with the illustrative embodiment in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a vertical crosssectional view of the device of this invention; and

FIGURE 2 is a horizontal cross-sectional view taken substantially on the line 11-11 of FIGURE 1.

The essence of the invention is illustrated in the drawing. Its adaptations are numerous as indicated above, and no attempt has been made to exemplify these in the drawing.

Referring more in detail to the drawing:

A tub 10 or similar container is made of hard rubber or other suitable insulating material and may have walls as shown in the drawing, having a cylindrical upper section and an inverted cone shaped section at the base. The invention, however, is adaptable so that the shape of the tub may be modified as desired to satisfy practical or aesthetic considerations.

The tub 10 is double walled, a pair of electrode members 12 (see FIGURE 2) being placed between or embedded in the outer wall and inner segments of the tub wall. The water inlet may be of any expedient design and is not shown. It may be, for example, a hose or faucet located above the tub 10.

Air is admitted at the base of the tub through the inlet 14, providing bubbles shown at 16. Pressure may be introduced as desired, by the air compressor 17. The bubbles are charged as desired by the high voltage rectifier 18. Washers are presently on the market wherein air under pressure coupled with a detergent is relied upon for removing the dirt from clothing. Cleaning is accomplished in the present invention as follows:

As the bubbles 16 rise in the water or other fluid 20 in the tub 10, they acquire a spiraling motion. This is accomplished by a coil 22, encircling the tub 10 which provides an alternating magnetic field through which the bubbles pass as they travel upward. Conventional v., 60 cycle is adequate. A high voltage source is shown at 18 in FIGURE 1.

The bubbles are then subjected to an oscillating frequency high voltage field provided by a pair of electrodes 12 which are embedded in the rubber container 10 and on opposite sides of it. The electrodes 12 are connected, as shown in FIGURE 2, to a high voltage, low frequency source indicated at 26. The electrodes for providing the electromagnetic field can use 60 cycle voltage, and the velocity on the inside periphery of the tub will be: v=1rDf, where D is the diameter of the tub and f represents cycles per second. For an 18 in. diameter tub the velocity of the bubbles will approach 120 miles/hour. Sonic velocity is imparted to the bubbles in this manner. They impinge upon the clothing or other material in the water, removing the dirt in an entirely new manner, and one which causes no injury to the fabric. The formation of bubbles is augmented by the process of cavitation 3 which will cause the formation of additional charged air bubbles.

Although the invention has been described with reference to a particular embodiment, it will be understood to those skilled in the art that the invention is capable of a variety of alternative embodiments within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A sonic washer comprising a coil for providing a magnetic field, a container made of non-conducting material placed within said coil so that liquid placed in said container is subjected to the influence of said magnetic field, Water free from detergents and cleaning agents in said container, means for introducing electrically charged air bubbles into said water whereby said bubbles spiral upwardly under the influence of said magnetic field, means for effecting oscillating motion of sonic velocity in said bubbles, said means comprising a pair of opposed electrodes embedded in the nonconducting material of said container, a low frequency, high voltage source connected to each of said electrodes.

2. A sonic washer comprising a non-conducting container, cold Water free of detergents in said container, means for introducing electrically charged bubbles into the water in said container, electrodes embedded in the non-conducting material of said container, and extending the approximate height of said container, a coil surrounding said container for providing a magnetic field reversible within said container which imparts spiral motion to said bubbles, a low frequency high voltage oscillator, a connection between said low frequency high voltage oscillator and each of said electrodes, whereby a velocity of ultrasonic dimensions is imparted to said bubbles.

3. A sonic washer comprising a non-conducting container, water free of cleaning agents in said container, means for introducing electrically charged bubbles under pressure into said container, means for imparting spiraling motion to said bubbles, said means comprising a coil surrounding said container and capable of providing a reversing magnetic field therein, means for imparting oscillating motion of very high velocity to said bubbles,

said means comprising electrodes connected to a low frequency high voltage source.

4. The process of removing soil from articles to be cleaned, said process comprising immersing said articles in liquid contained in a non-conducting container, passing electrically charged air bubbles into said liquid, causing said electrically charged air bubbles to spiral in their upward travel by subjecting them to an alternating magnetic field, and subjecting said electrically charged air bubbles to a low frequency high voltage field, thereby imparting ultrasonic oscillating motion thereto.

5. The process of removing soil from articles to be cleaned, said process comprising immersing said articles in water free of detergents and cleaning agents contained in a non-conducting container, passing electrically charged air bubbles into said water, subjecting said electrically charged air bubbles to an alternating magnetic field and causing them to spiral, subjecting said electrically charged air bubbles to a low frequency high voltage field in their upward spiralling travel, thereby imparting ultrasonic 0scillating motion thereto.

6. The process of cleaning objects which comprises subjecting them to the impact of electrically charged bubbles in a liquid contained in a non-conducting container, and imparting to said bubbles an oscillating velocity of high dimensions.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 855,449 6/ 1907 Dorn. 2,468,550 10/1949 Fruth 21-54.l 2,828,231 3/1954 Henry 134-1 FOREIGN PATENTS 505,334 9/1951 Belgium.

MORRIS O. WOLK, Primary Examiner.

S. MARANTZ, Assistant Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 

